Thursday, January 27, 2011

Urban Roads Linked to More Accidents and Fatalities

A new report out by USA Today doesn't have any surprises for Los Angeles car accident lawyers. According to the report, states with more urban roads are safer than those with a greater proportion of rural roads. The report analyzes states based on the total fatalities in 2009, as well as the accident death rate for every 100,000 population. California had 3,081 accidents in 2009, with a death rate of 8.3 for every 100,000 population.

California is not the most dangerous state in the country, but it is not the safest part of the country either. That honor goes to Washington DC and Massachusetts. Washington DC had 492 deaths in accidents in 2009, with a 7.4 death rate per 100,000 population. Massachusetts had 334 deaths in 2009, and a 5.1 death rate per 100,000 population. The conclusion to draw from the analysis is this - states that have more urban roads have lower speed limits, better designed roads, and easier access to emergency trauma care facilities. These states will have lower accident death rates compared to states that have more rural roads.

Rural roads suffer from a number of disadvantages. These tend to be poorly designed with two lanes, increasing the risk of an accident. Further, rural highways are less likely to come with dividers. A person involved in an accident on a rural street may not have easy access to trauma care facilities during the Golden Hour, or the first hour after the injury occurs. A person’s chances of surviving critical injuries increases if he is given emergency trauma care within the first hour. In rural areas, survivors wait more than an hour to reach the nearest trauma care center, and hence, the higher fatality rates. Besides, rural areas see more numbers of drunk driving accidents, and fewer sobriety checkpoints. There are also fewer crackdowns and lower seat belt use checks on rural roads.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

California Couple Killed in Police Chase Accident

Two people have been killed in a Los Angles auto accident caused by a drunk driver who was fleeing law enforcement personnel over the weekend. The accident occurred on Friday night in Hyde Park, when police officers noticed a vehicle being driven recklessly. They initiated a chase, which ended just a few minutes later when the alleged drunk driver crashed into another car.

In the other car was a couple in their 50’s who on their way home. The husband died at the scene, while the wife was rushed to the injuries with severe injuries, and died later. Meanwhile, the drunk driver has been booked for two counts of murder.

Investigators are still examining the crash scene. Los Angeles car accident lawyers expect questions to be raised about whether the risks of a drunk driving accident where increased because of the chase.

Over the past few years, there has been much concern about high-speed police chases and the risks to innocent bystanders. According to estimates, more than 300 innocent bystanders are killed or seriously injured every year in police chase-related accidents.

Every police department in California has rules governing the initiation of a high-speed chase. Police officers are required to weigh the benefits of initiating a chase versus the risks of an accident. Obviously, this can be a difficult decision because it is impossible to accurately predict the outcome of a chase. Any investigation of this accident will include the circumstances of the case, and whether a chase was necessary. It will also examine the traffic conditions in which this case was initiated. For instance, a high-speed chase involving a drunk motorist on a busy street is clearly dangerous.

California drunk driving injury lawyers do not want police departments to feel like their hands are tied when it comes to making the decision to chase a suspect. But the safety of innocent motorists, bystanders and pedestrians must also factor heavily in the decision to start a chase.
 
Add to Technorati Favorites